The benefits of mindfulness for you and your business.
As highlighted in a previous blog there are many benefits in bringing mindfulness into the workplace but will investment in mindfulness-based programmes make commercial sense?
Numerous surveys and reviews indicate that adopting mindfulness as a part of wellbeing initiative across the corporate space is gaining traction. Pre-COVID, employers were already looking at ways to improve employees’ general health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on developing strategies that support mental health.
Now, one year on from the first lock down, there is to support that the employees’ mental health agenda has moved from a place of discussion to real action. A recent article from Inc.com highlighted how @Aetna have gone so far as to quantify the benefits of mindfulness programmes and the effect on employee productivity, and many large organisations like Nike, Google, and Goldman Sachs have become famous for adopting mindfulness in the workplace. Since 2016 the number of employers offering mindfulness by way of supporting employee wellbeing has reportedly doubled in the US, from 22% to just over 40% between 2016 and.
No longer is it a question of whether it is good to adopt a mindfulness programme into a business and more a case of why wouldn’t you as there is more and more evidence being reported by those companies that are firm advocates and the facts speak for themselves.
There are multiple ways for companies to utilise mindfulness techniques, from offering a structured group programmes to provision of a quite space for employees to use for practice, as well as offering the tools as a way of one-to-one intervention during stress leave.
When we get under the skin of mindfulness and we consider the benefits from a more an individual’s , the impacts of mindfulness on an individual are truly wonderful for so many who practice mindfulness in day-to-day life. And still, these benefits will have an overall impact on a company’s performance.
Mindfulness practitioners often report of having developed better, deeper listening and communications skills, able to keep a cool head in a crisis and remain balanced. Those who practice mindfulness are often described as being more patient, able to take time to think deeply and respond rather than react to requests and demands. Those who practice mindfulness are generally more aware of their surroundings, the needs of others and are more open to moment-to-moment experiences, often embracing change without a fight and see it as an opportunity for growth.
As society continues to move through this prolonged period of uncertainty, we develop deeper appreciation why some of these tools and ways of being can be both helpful from an employer’s perspective but also how mindfulness supports mental wellbeing of the individual.
Those practicing mindfulness, evidentially, are less stressed, able to cope better generally with life’s challenges big or small and because of this tend to be physically, emotionally, and psychologically ‘well.’
So, what can be done to embed mindfulness in the workplace and get the benefits that we talked about?
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme for the workplace.
With the growing interest in using mindfulness techniques in the workplace, the awareness and spread of the MBSR programmes has increased and is being used within organisations and not just for individuals.
This programme developed back in the 1970s has become popular for a number of reasons. The MBSR programme is internationally recognised and adopted world over due to its clear evidence-based and continuing research and studies across various sectors; its secular nature and approach allows it to be adopted by people with different religious and philosophical views making it highly accessible and diverse in application; and importantly, those who teach the MBSR must carry evidential proof of having completed a full teacher training qualification and hold the appropriate certificates and insurance whilst also holding registration with the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA).
Globally, companies are hiring professionals to work with them in order to adapt and adopt the MBSR approach due to its efficacy and credibility as well as its successful outcomes for employer and employees.
How MindfulnessUK can support you.
MindfulnessUK is one of the longest, well established mindfulness-based business’ in the UK. Established in 2010, the team boasts a wealth of experience among them. The directors of MindfulnessUK At Work have corporate backgrounds themselves so when it comes to teaching and integrating mindfulness into business’s the team is able to bring the principles of mindfulness and the MBSR programme to life for various audiences.
MindfulnessUK At Work are knowledgeable, qualified, and competent.
Stephanie Unthank is a qualified, experienced, and registered mindfulness teacher. With a previous career in the corporate banking sector Stephanie has a deep understanding of the benefits of wellness in both body and mind and is a strong advocate for sustainable cultural change.
Vera Dubrovina-Thompson is an experienced yoga therapist and mindfulness teacher and following a 21-year career in the financial sector Vera has a wealth of knowledge in how mindfulness can make a real difference in the workplace.
Both Vera and Stephanie take an approach based on delivering simple, effective, and research-based mindfulness tools that help reduce stress, build resilience, and drive employee well-being.
Companies looking at integrating mindfulness into their workplace should consider the skills of those they hire to do this work and ensure that the teachers they choose have the appropriate capabilities to not only teach mindfulness in the workplace but carefully identify a team that can make a difference to their workplace through understanding the corporate cultural landscape.
Integrating mindfulness in the workplace is more than meditation, it’s often about managing change, changing culture, and engaging employees which can result in improved performance, happier customers, and increased revenues.
Prioritising well-being can foster a more positive business culture.
We are in a world where there is now an expectation of employers to deliver more than just a decent, competitive salary and a few weeks of holiday entitlement.
Particularly, millennials are looking at employers to show up in supporting their broader needs, where tangible benefits that support general wellbeing with mental health is at the top of the agenda.
Companies that are able to broaden their offerings to support good employee wellbeing strategies that work, will inevitably find that in turn, they will nurture a more positive, balanced, appreciative, and engaged workforce. Employees are far more likely to be well intended in their actions, grow in loyalty, and even promote their employer to others as a great place to work. It’s these employees that feel a sense of purpose when getting out of bed in the morning to sign on to their laptops or sometime soon, bounce back into the office.
Wellbeing initiatives that centre around mental health are no longer a maybe or a nice to do, they are a necessity. Let’s have a conversation and discuss how we can help you and your business.
https://mindfulnessuk.com/at-work or call Stephanie on 07712 420 441 or Vera on 07957 468 895